The largest multi-sport event apart from the Olympic Games begins tomorrow and the Emerging Boomers and Emerging Opals are ready for the World University Games, being held in Naples, Italy from July 3-14.
Also known as the Summer Universiade, the tournament features almost 10,000 athletes who are currently completing university studies competing across 18 disciplines including basketball. 16 teams will battle for the gold medal in the men's and women's competitions with the Emerging Opals drawn into Group D alongside China, Finland and Canada while the Emerging Boomers will take on Czech Republic, Israel and Mexico in Group A. Australia must finish in the top two from their group to advance to the finals but classification games are played through to the last day to determine final standings. The Emerging Opals team includes four players out to defend their gold medal from 2017 in Abigail Wehrung, Alex Sharp, Keely Froling and Lauren Scherf. The women have a strong history at the World Uni Games, having won a gold medal in 2007 as well as bronze medals in 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2013.
Keely Froling (University of Canberra Capitals), Scherf (Brydens Sydney Uni Flames), and Wehrung (Bendigo Bank Spirit) are joined by fellow Chemist Warehouse WNBL players from 2018/19 in Lara McSpadden (Flames), Stephanie Reid (Free Agent) and Maddi Rocci (UC Capitals). 2018 FIBA World Cup silver medalist and first-round pick for the Seattle Storm in the 2019 WNBA Draft, Ezi Magbegor also adds a wealth of experience to this already talented group. The Emerging Boomers will utilise the experience of returning players from the 2017 World University Games in Dejan Vasiljevic and Tanner Krebs while NBL players Will Magnay (Brisbane Bullets) and Alex Mudronja, who recently signed with the Adelaide 36ers, also feature. A plethora of talented college players will don the green and gold alongside them including Duke University's Jack White and Jock Perry who has attended St. Mary's alongside Krebs and Mudronja. The Emerging Boomers medaled at the 2013 World Uni Games, winning silver with a team including future Olympians Cameron Bairstow and Ryan Broekhoff.